The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-08
STRANGER THAN FICTION.

those Times.
From the Memphis Avalanche.
1.-The story which, with your per-
mission, am going to relate had real
men and women for actors and is
known to all the old-time residents in
and around Louisville. 1t presents
one OF the most remarkable compli-
cations Of old slavery TINES that ever
came within my knowledge, and l am
not over young.
Fifteen or twenty years before the
breaking out OF the civil war O young
girl in her teens came up from Louis
lana and settled in Louisville, giving
the name OF Lizzie Carlton. Nothing
more was known of her than that she
was accompaniedby ayoung man who
was, or who pretended to be, deal
and dumb, and who, after aiding her
to secure n situation with Mrs. Will
Jams, q milliner and dressmaker on
Fourth street, returned ut once south
ward by river. Lizzie was O. hand.
some brunette, with wealth ofraven
hair which almost swept the floor,
bright, expressive eyes, and altogether
penteel and dignifed in her general ap.
pearance. Her lady-like department
and strict attention to the interests
OF her employer soon made her super
intendent OF the establishment. So
cial barriers were not 80 stubborn
then as now, and hence the young
and beautiful stranger was soon re-
ceived into the best society, form.
ing o number OF friends outside her
regular business patrons, among
Others Mrs. E., prominent men,
Der OF the Baptist church, at whose
house the dark.eyed beauty was a
frequent visitor. She i'll time attach
ed herself to that church, becoming
most exemplary member. During
her visits to Mrs. f., our heroine met
Phillip s., himself one OF the pillars OF
the church, who, after living in single
bessedness for years, enjoying all
alone his wealth and family station,
soon conceived u tender sentiment for
the young and beautiful sister. 1t was
not long after the matchmaker got
their heads together till Philip and
Lizzie we're made one. The marriage
ceremony took place at the Baptist
church then standing on the south
west corner OF Fifth and Green streets,
tho Rev. Mr.. Buck officiating, and
many old-timers living in this good
day will recall all the facts exactly as
| give them. After the ceremony the
bride and groom and their friends re-
paired to Mrs. SIS residence. about
} ten miles from Louisville, on the Bards-
: town pike, where the usual wedding
festivities werc enjoyed.
"The honeymoon, with other moons,
dripping with honey 'sweeter than the
honey-comb,' waxed and waned. The
old bachelor, happy in the new world
that dawned before him; the young
wife, with her back upon the past and
its memories, was even forgetting that
she had been q hard-worked milliner
in the struggle for bread.
"Alas that ever mans avarice and
brutality should break in to mar and
destroy scene Of happines like this.
About sunset one afternoon the door
bell rang. Lizzie--now Mrs. S., left
her husbands bedside. The was con-
fined to his room by slight illness at
the time), arranged her toilet and de-
= scended to the parlor.
zone piercing scream that startled
the echoes aroused Mr.. S., who rush
/ ed down stairs. What was he aston
: ishment and dismay to find his
bride fainting on the floor, and a
strange gentleman, attended by @ uni
formed policeman, standing over her.
Sir said the stranger, this woni-
an is my slave. Her name is Nell da
, Cass. am a Louisiana planter, here
is the bill OF sale. bought her few
months before she escaped from my
home, and have been on her track
: ever since, and now she must return
with me-.
1.-THE distress OF the unfortunate
couple drew about then at once large
; concourse OF their friends, who were as
much at loss what to advise in the
midst OF these strange revelations as
were the two most deeply concerned.
The husband, after the first paroxysm
OF his grief and modification, vowed
eternal fidelity to his wife, bond or
free, and with the assistance OF Deacon
E., the Rev. Mr.. Buck and Others, it
was arranged that. in order to quiet
matters, the Louisiana planter should
be UNIDENTIFIED for the loss OF his slave,
and the little party OF friends met to-
gether at the Gait house, where the
Louisianaian was paid $700 for COM
pensation, and returned home"
"And this ends this strange, event.
full historyf" asked the reporter.